At our small, fast-moving nonprofit company, everyone does a couple of jobs — and productivity apps help us manage roles that shift between coding, writing/designing and running a full-scale conference twice a year. We asked the TED staff what apps they can’t live without. And beyond the classics—Instagram, Google Maps, Spotify, Uber, Seamless—we found some great apps that might help you too. (A star denotes that the app is free, or at least has a free version.)

For random life stuff…

Dark SkyA weather app with startling accuracy, its interface tells you things like: “Light rain starting in 22 minutes.” It also shows you beautiful weather maps that let you play local-news weather expert. “It’s like a wizard,” says our CTO, Gavin Hall. “If this app were available in the 1600s, it would have been burned at the stake for witchcraft.”

*SunriseLike your Google Calendar with key improvements, several staffers swear by this app. It offers shortcuts for adding events, and also bakes things like weather reports and Facebook birthday reminders into the mix of your daily calendar. “It’s awesome,” says IT Manager Francil Richards.

*KeyMeCommunications manager Samantha Kelly was excited to download this app, as she recently got locked out of her apartment. She says, “You scan your keys by taking a photo of them and then you have ‘digital copies.’” With the copy, you can get a key made for you at a KeyMe kiosk (they currently have five in New York) or through the mail. Fingerprint scan is required.

*Think DirtyThis app tells you exactly what’s in the personal care product you’re about to buy. You scan the barcode, and it shares information about potentially harmful ingredients (and gives alternatives, if you want them). It’s useful for fact-checking label claims like “all-natural” and “organic.” Kyle Shearer of our Events Workgroup says, “It helps me make informed choices on products that I am bringing home.”

Yoga StudioYoga Studio reminds us of the “Surprise Me” feature on the TED app. You pick the kind of yoga class you want (strength, flexibility, relaxation), your level (beginner, intermediate or advanced) and the amount of time you have (20 minutes, 40 minutes or longer) and it creates a class for you. “Whenever I am traveling or too busy to exercise, I sneak in a lesson,” says Product Development Manager Jai Punjabi.

*PocketOne of those apps on this list that you may already know about, it lets you save blog posts and articles to read when you’re offline. TEDx Digital Strategist Alex Rudloff says, “I’m able to keep track of all the articles that get sent my way. In this post-Google Reader world, it’s my primary way of keeping up on things.” Community Support Manager Mireille Pilloud adds, “They send out a weekly email I like that shows the most-Pocketed articles and suggests articles for me based on what I generally read.” Another feature that gets big ups from our staff—the fact that you can set the font size because it strips out the content’s original formatting.

*VSCO CamIt doesn’t have a name that rolls of the tongue, but this app is great for helping turn ho-hum snapshots into arty photographs. Janet Lee of our Distribution team says, “A year ago, I was scanning my Instagram feed and noticed a lot of ‘moodier’ photos. The beauty of this app is that it doesn’t matter how bad your framing is, you can just wash it out. It’s maximum likes on instagram, with low effort.”

*Camera360This app has more than 200 photo filters and 10 modes. But the real benefit, says Executive Producer of TED Media June Cohen, is that images are for your eyes only. “I like Camera360 for creating Instagram-like photos I don’t want to share publicly,” she says.

For staying organized…

*WunderlistAn app that lets you create shareable lists of favorites—be they restaurants, sites in a city, or movies. But it’s better known for its shareable to-do lists. “It organizes my life,” says Anjali Mohan of our Client Services Workgroup. “I use it at work and at home. My husband gets reminders from the app when he needs to clean.” Production Manager Kristel Ottis also swears by this app. “There’s simply no other way I could keep track of all the nitty-gritty details that go into each production,” she says.

MeMailThis app does one thing really well—you can send yourself an email in two taps, for quick reminders or ideas you don’t want to forget. “It’s helped me get rid of all the fiddly bits of paper in my pocket,” says Product Development Associate Bedirhan Cinar.

*TrelloA slightly more visual rendering of your to-dos, this app allows you to create boards for different projects and separate sharable lists within them. Each task goes on a separate card. “I’ve tried tons of task apps, and Trello is by far my favorite,” says Social Media Editor Nadia Goodman. “I love how easy it is to customize, color code, and rearrange things. It’s also really easy to make collaborative boards and store information — like files, notes or images — within a task. My one complaint is that I wish it would ping me when a due date is coming up!”

*nvALTA spin-off of Notational Velocity, this app is popular with techy types because it includes MultiMarkdown functionality. Front-End Developer Joe Bartlett explains, “I’m naturally scatterbrained and love nvALT for storing and indexing the sorts of details I used to jot down haphazardly and forget: conference notes, obscure math and command line tricks, what cartridge the printer takes,” he says. “It adds extra customization options.”

*TodoistLike both Wunderlist and Trello, this to-do list helper has both an app and a web client that communicate. “I found this in my never-ending search for the perfect task management app,” says Product Development Associate Will True. “This isn’t necessarily it, but it provides simple task organization—by project, category, priority, due date. It’s not fancy, which is honestly why I like it. It also has great APIs so I can hook other things or build my own little tools on the data it provides.”

*CheckThis app keeps track of all your bills and when they are due, and also monitors your bank and credit card accounts. Most importantly, it tells you when there’s a mismatch between the two — i.e. when you’re about to get charged an overdraft fee — so you can fix the problem. “It’s way better than Mint,” says IT Manager Francil Richards. “It means I’m never late on payments.”

*EvernoteEvernote is an organizational tool that you can use as a storing place for short notes, or as a place to collect all your thoughts—links, photos, notes, checklists—for larger projects. “Evernote is awesome because it’s versatile,” says Junior Designer Lilian Chen. “You can use it for storing receipts and outlining travel plans and meeting notes.”

For getting around…

CityMaps2Go ProThis app downloads offline, zoomable, searchable maps of major cities, so that even if you are roaming around Tokyo and can’t read any of the signs, you can still find your way around. “It’s good for people like me who travel internationally, but don’t like to get data plans,” says Thu-Huong Ha, of our editorial team.

*Word LensAnother great app for travelers, Word Lens visually translates printed text into your language in real time. When you snap a photo of a sign or document, it shows the image to you in English. “It’s crazy,” says Kyle Shearer of our Events Workgroup. “The translations are not always 100%, but it’s good enough to get by on.” Hello, food menus.

*MovesMoves tracks every step you take, which sounds creepy, but is actually useful. “It quantifies how many miles you’ve walked, cycled and run,” says Patrick D’Arcy, of the TED Fellows team. “It’s not about the calories burned for me, but the ability visualize where I’ve gone on a map. A friend actually introduced me to the app when he came back from Mexico City and he was able to show me the exact routes he took.”

*WazeAn app to help you get stuck in traffic as infrequently as possible. Drivers share real-time traffic delays—accidents, traffic jams, and the like—so that you can avoid them. The head of our Media Team, June Cohen, once mentioned this app a staff meeting, and lots of us are using it now.

*RoadifyThis app gives you real-time data on transit info in 50 cities in the US and Canada. “I know when the next bus or train is coming and, if it’s not there, the reason for the delay,” says Anna Verghese, Deputy Director of the TED Prize. “Psychologically, I like knowing when I reach the subway station that the train is four minutes away, so that I don’t have to hurl myself down the subway stairs.”

Exit StrategyThis app is for New Yorkers only. (Sorry.) It helps you plan your subway route, down to where to stand on the platform, and which exit to use to get to your destination in the quickest amount of time. “It speaks to my need for efficiency,” says producer Roxanne Lash.

EmbarkOther staffers also recommend Embark, which is a route-planning app akin to Hop Stop that integrates information about delays. It’s available in 10 cities and has a big bonus: it works underground, without connection.

*Couch to 5k“This app trains you to run a 5k. It gives you audio alerts when to start running/walking,” says Accountant Erline Maruhom. “The idea is that you should be able to run a 5k in nine weeks. We’ll see … I’m hopeful.”

For computer and email ease…

*BoomerangThis is app for Gmail that is majorly handy. It lets you set a notification to pop up if you haven’t gotten a reply on an email within a specified amount of time. It also lets you boomerang messages back to the top of your inbox, closer to when you actually need to pay attention. But the feature our staff members love: you can schedule emails to send later. “I tend to write emails in bulk at night or on the weekend—but don’t want to bug anyone then,” says writer Kate Torgovnick May. “It’s nice to be able to schedule an email for a more appropriate time and hit send.”

*MailboxThis app helps you archive and trash email—or put off emails you don’t have to respond to immediately until a later date—with a left or right swipe. It also shows whole conversations with a cool interface that looks a lot like a chat. “On the train into work, I can quickly sift through all the emails and start my day with a clearer head,” says Post Production Manager Gwen Schroeder.

*AuthyThis app disconnects 2-step authentication from text messaging, and does it in a way that’s a little more secure, should your phone fall into the wrong hands. “This is especially handy for when I’m in areas with no reception or am international and don’t have a texting plan,” says Product Development Associate Bedirhan Cinar. “Google offers an identical app, but I like Authy better because you can password protect it so if someone has your phone, they can’t easily access your 2 step codes.”

*Quicksilver“It lets you search, find and open applications and files on your Mac quickly using shortcut keys,” says TEDx Branding Coordinator Boian Filev. “It has really sped up finding and opening files that might be buried deep in folders.”

*FluxThis app rocks for anyone who has eyes that are sensitive to the bright light of a computer screen. It makes your computer or iOS device display adjust to the time of the day, and get warmer and dimmer at night. “It keeps me from getting a headache in the evening,” says writer Kate Torgovnick May. “I also appreciate it at TED Conferences, when we can sometimes end up being in a dark theater all day. It’s nice to get some demarcation of what time it is outside.”

But enough about us. What’s the app that YOU find most helpful on a day-to-day basis? Share in the comments!

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Aaron Weyenberg is the master of slide decks. Our UX Lead creates Keynote presentations that are both slick and charming—the kind that pull you in and keep you captivated, but in an understated way that helps you focus on what’s actually being said. He does this for his own presentations and for lots of other […]

Ruecommented on Sep 22 2014

enjoypolocommented on Sep 22 2014

I enjoy the minimalistic aspect of my phone keeping only the things I really need or are doing a significantly better job than the stock Apps.

I think the one app that I’ve been using for two-years now is called Sleep Cycle. To put it midly, it’s an amazing alarm clock. All you need to worry about is plugging the phone and put it next to your pillow before you sleep. Not only does it wake me up naturally (I’ve come to wake up before the alarm sets off which is even better), it also tracks down my sleep data, combines it with other information ( that choice is entirely up to you) such as steps taken that day, pulse, etc.

I think we’re gonna see apps like this centralizing our health data into HealthKit become an important part of our lifestyle.
And that awareness will make us think twice about our health, Diet, work life, etc.
Very excited about the next couple years!

I agree with you enjoypolo. I too want to have a more streamlined approach to the apps I choose. As much as possible I would like to have all my work apps integrated so I won’t have to go from one app to another.

It’s really frustrating when the changes you’ve make in one app don’t reflect in your other app.

tanabenanacommented on Sep 22 2014

There are two apps that have changed the quality of my life…I would use the word “miraculous” for both.

The first tool I sought when I got my iPhone was one for meditation. I auditioned many, and found that the voice is the very most important thing. I didn’t want an adenoidal Englishman who sounds like a chain smoker. I didn’t want a woman who sounded so detached that she could be on Neptune.

What I found that I love—LOVE—is “Stop, Think & Breathe.” (FREE.) Jamie Price’s voice is just perfect, and the meditations are so varied. My favorite two are “Welcoming the Day” (a $2 add-on that I gladly purchased), “Relax, Ground, and Clear,” and “Falling Asleep.” There is also a k.d. lang add-on pack for $3 (I think) that is well worth it, if only for the meditation to relieve anxiety.

I have found that the most important thing in life, amid all the distractions of career, traffic, stress, climate, bad news, good news, and life itself is to have a brief oasis every day in which to clear the mind and experience peace. I feel as though this app has taken what were the equivalent of magnetized knitting needles out of my brain, and that my stress level is lower and my ability to experience compassion is much higher.

The second life-saving app is “Alarm Clock Sleep Sounds.” As a former lifetime insomniac, let me say this: going to sleep with binaural waves targeted for deep sleep, dreamy sleep, quick sleep, lucid dreaming, or various states of meditation and relaxation is a gift from the gods. I don’t use the alarm clock, I only use the Sleep Sounds. I have customized my ambient sounds—I seem to prefer running water and nature sounds, along with some violet, pink, and white noise, and even being inside an airplane. I use earbuds and listen to the program all night. It’s a buffer in the morning for the chickens next door, who squawk outrageously when laying their eggs.

TED folks—quality of internal life is as important as being organized in the outer world. I hope you will explore my recommendations and augment them with others of this kind.

Lastly, “AppsGoneFree” is a great place to explore apps that usually cost money. I have enhanced my iPhone with so many gems with a daily check-in. Also, BatteryDoctor keeps my iPhone spiffy and speedy, clearing out bloated memory and deleted files. It also has a “Market” section with recommended applications that are free for the day.

BIG THUMBS UP to these apps on my phone.

Cheers!

microscommented on Sep 22 2014

Fantastical finally made me appreciate digital calendars. Add items by typing a sentence. “24 oct 20:00 Concert at Paradiso” will create an entry with a time and location, just like you expect it. It’s overview is also much better than those block-based calendars.

northernrootssoutherncharmcommented on Sep 22 2014

This page should really include the app LastPass. There was no mention of some kind of a digital password key ring and considering most of these apps use some form of user and password model integration. I’m sure several employees of TED and affiliated users use it up to some point already.

william5849commented on Sep 22 2014

Ajaylacommented on Sep 20 2014

Reblogged this on Absent Musings and commented:
I’m definitely keeping this list. I’m always searching for great apps. Some of these I’m familiar with and have tried, but haven’t committed. It’s just so hard to trust new apps when you play with the big boys all the time.

1Password is my favorite password manager; works on a wide variety of platforms, has great browser integration, and allows you to store everything from passwords and credit cards to notes and more, and it syncs them across all your devices: https://agilebits.com/onepassword

1Password is my favorite password manager; works on a wide variety of platforms, has great browser integration, and allows you to store everything from passwords and credit cards to notes and more, and it syncs them across all your devices: https://agilebits.com/onepassword